Tuesday August 11, 2026
Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s prime minister has challenged United Nations agencies, donors and international organizations to abandon outdated methods of engagement and deal with the country as a functioning state rather than a transitional one.
Speaking at an event in Mogadishu on Tuesday, Hamza Abdi Barre said Somalia now has working government institutions and a legal framework that require a different approach from international partners than the practices used during the country’s previous transitional period.
The prime minister said the government has prepared a National Transition Plan (NTP) to guide Somalia’s shift away from its former transitional system and toward fully operational state institutions and governance structures.
Barre called on international organizations to revise their programs and operations to reflect what he described as Somalia’s evolving political and institutional environment.
“The old ways of working cannot continue. We want them to adapt to the new Somalia and where we are going,” Barre said.
He also objected to international organizations keeping offices or running major operations from outside Somalia while implementing programs inside the country.
“There are people who work for us who still want to run from Nairobi. It is the culture they have learned, but it is not possible now,” he said.
Barre said the shift must extend to Somalia’s own public institutions. He urged ministers, civil servants and government experts to adjust to the new system and help build the capacity of state bodies.
The prime minister spoke as Somalia works to consolidate its institutions, move beyond transitional arrangements and take greater responsibility for the country’s political, security and development affairs.
